It Is Black

It is black. If one does not draw his identity, he would be forced to move into and take up an identity the world cynically yet cleverly and clearly draws for him. It is great to live in an illusion that we are all equal, created equal, born equal et al; as we endlessly justify its claim and claim for it; yet, the truth is that we are not equal, no one is; we are just similar and that's it. These lines we draw to define ourself appears dark in light. And darkness is real and into darkness we move to know what is true. 

“Light is shallow; darkness is infinitely deep. Light is always bounded, it has boundaries. Darkness has no boundaries, it is unbounded. Light comes and goes; darkness always is. When there is light you cannot see it. When light is not there you can see it. But it is always there; you cannot cause it. Light has a cause. You burn the fire, you put on wood. When the wood is finished the light will be gone. It is caused, hence it is an effect. But darkness is not caused by anything, it is not an effect. It is uncaused eternity.” said Osho.

The closer we get to reality, the darker it gets. In darkness, you are alone, closer to you, closest to you alone. In darkness one loses himself; and lost, finds himself. Darkness brings warmth like the dark looming clouds before a rain. The other mystical element-water, at its depths-the abyss, is just as dark as well. Identifying ones own darkness helps him to move away from the fake light in which he sees himself and others and the spot from which he sees others or allows them to see him. 

Immediate movement into darkness brings forth fear and shudders, the natural. Identity intends to break our comfort zone and that of others that they hold of us. It is in darkness that we usually see beyond the conditioned notions with which the world sees us... those lines of disparity, the points of discrimination and all the unnatural lines drawn to distinguish us and thus differentiate us. It is in darkness that one comes from and into the same one moves' yet, isn't it strange that man fears darkness when in light and alone?! 

In a way, it is in darkness that man is really tested face to face with no restraint-bold, raw, rustic, strong, dark and black-and he begins to see himself clear. Cleared off from all those defining lines the world had drawn for him-to contain him, to manipulate him and to convince him of his limits. In a way, it is in this darkness, the pitch black bottom, that those dark lines separating us to see us apart gets reconnected and we see people beyond differences-that otherwise we have to beg for and plead in light. True knowledge is dark,far away from the comfort of the light we are generally exposed to; that is perhaps why they insist on unlearning as more important than the learning. Light divides, darkness unites. Let the fool and the coward step out and let the others move on; into darkness let us be lost and find ourselves and others ... Let us leap into the boundless comfort of darkness. 

p.c: http://rvspeaks.blogspot.in/2011/08/darkness-important-aspect-of-life.html

Tolerating The Liar

Poverty can do some marvellous tricks especially if it comes barging like a mugger in the night-unexpected and unwelcome. Often we speak of some of those values that we will not let go no matter what, those that we have treasured and managed to keep close and dear to our heart; well, let poverty come in and you will not even realize through which back door all those learnt values, adapted principles and those collected goodness flew. The usual indicator of poverty that often one tries to keep submerged and under wraps nevertheless the ruthless world knows and optimizes on the hinges at which it hangs, is when one begins to lie. These lies are not in denial of what something is or is it in absolute conclusion of how things ought to be; yet, these minted, tinted and painted lies are delivered in an  attempt to hold on to the pride that one sees slipping away and is helpless and unable to bear or hold. This, my friend, is a desperate beginning of a struggle to keep one’s image intact unlike the life that just slipped away.

Lies are like flies in the marketplace-they are there all around, irritating and menacing and any fool can see; yet, all chose to ignore and hope that it will not bother them and they won't be there in this market for long; yet, time can be relative here too. Liars are like sword-fighters; their survival depends on not just how they uses their tale-blades that cut sharp yet also see through and survive the mutuality of its extension from other fighters swaying their blades too. In these grounds, for those who fight to live, nothing is fair and nothing is unfair. 

This is all in the game in a world that is ruthlessly keyed to survive. When a man or a woman begin to lie, they feel that they are in better control over life, to keep at least the imagery of what otherwise it has unjustifiably taken away from them. Add one more life that depends on you... and just as one bears humiliation, belittling and wounds inflicted by others, at times, many times, lies work in favour of saving one's honour. Add a few more lives that depend on you, truth shrinks and lies multiply... the lies we have to say where we work to survive the brutality rises parallel to the lies we have to maintain at home to save us from embarrassment of knowing how one gets treated at work. 

Life sure is crueller than lies-and who dare says it is not except another liar?! The God sleeps and the devil awakes every time there is a lie afloat. The God is in the distant heavens and the devil in the closer hell; poverty at times is not monetary alone and the poor on Earth, reach out to the nearest every time life extends an unfair hand.  

p.c: http://www.preda.org/en/news/human-rights/god-bless-the-poor-god-bless-the-victims-of-injustice/

The Marionette-A Poetry Recital

Once upon a time, i wrote a poem that did seem to go well with people. 'The Marionette' as i had titled it, also got some acknowledgement in the poetry circle. Today, i tried to record it and tried adding some audio-visual elements to it and here it is for you to see and hear...

The Marionette

A drop of tear like dew drop did fall,
with pain in the heart like a sinking star.
Like eyeless moths on the dark horizon,
the looming image of sorrow drifts.

The bridges move as I in stillness stand;
time flies by and so doth the distance.
Scramming like a ruthless vagabond,
bonds of restraint seem to have no bounds.

The world rests well and so must I
knowing that tides roll past as destiny moves by.

Birth, life or death, we are just puppets on loose strings;
held by a power above.
Till fate moves on, let us dance our dance,
like the last standing dew drops on the blade of grass.

by AFD

Thank you...

And The Woman She Is

Translation of the song "Aurat Ne Janam Diya Mardon Ko", from the movie Sadhna (1958):

"Woman gave birth to man.
And he gave her the flesh-trade
Whenever they felt like it
They trampled on her or discarded her
Woman gave birth to man

She is weighed in dinars
Or sold in open markets
She’s stripped in the court of lustful men
She’s that ill-reputed thing
Which settles among the reputed
Woman gave birth to man

Man can commit every crime
But a woman can’t even weep
Man sleeps on a million soft beds
The woman gets the funeral pyre
Man has a right to every luxury
For a woman life itself is a punishment
And it was a woman who gave birth to man

The lips which declared love
Were traded for money
The womb [from] which they were born
Was used as a business
The very body they blossomed from
[Was] abused by them
Woman gave birth to man

Men made customs which were regarded as their rights
But a woman being burnt alive was looked upon as sacrifice
Even the food given to her was considered an obligation
And to think it was a woman who gave birth to man

Every act of shamelessness is rooted in poverty
What is passion in men is a sin to woman
Woman gave birth to man

A woman is destiny of the world
But she doesn’t have it herself
She bears prophets and lord incarnates
Even then she’s considered a devil’s child
This is that unfortunate mom
Who sleeps with her own sons

For woman is the mother of man
But they gave her the marketplace
Whenever they felt like it they accepted or discarded her
And it was a woman who gave birth to man"

A Note On Social Conflict

There has always been a Social Conflict existing in the society whether we like it or not and whether we accept it or not. The theme of such conflicts has changed ranging from ethnicity to racism to casteism to inter-casteism, and so on and so forth; yet the concept remains relevant in any given point of time taken for reference even sans par contra. The idea of citizen participation, is not a novel idea emerging out of fine technocratic efforts, though if claimed so, is only an indication of having reinvented a wheel, and can only  be rendered as necessity to complement the evolving political structure that is prevalent in the contemporary scenario.

The need to understand such complexities is necessary to prepare contingency plans when conflicts arise and to understand the dynamics of basic human behaviour, also already explained through various Social Sciences. To find relevance of such theories and philosophies to the socio-cultural and traditional context, any “meritorious technocrat” would need to break the mystery with proper understanding of the ingredient that adds a local flavour to the emerging issue in hand.

However, we are raising the concept of “citizen participation” standing in a developing country internally struggling to keep the states together, in a country where despite attempts made to show our need to contemplate strength required to advance by bringing forth the concept of ‘unity in diversity’, ‘diversity’ is more predominant than the expected unity in terms of the stratification witnessed in every step taken, even in an enlightening process of education where the need to fill the religion and caste is still mandatory despite disapproving the same in text book covers and incorporated into lessons; this pseudo advancement is only a complement to the lop-sided comparatively rapid advancement in science and technology seen along side rural development; villages still need electrification after over 6 decades of independence, our Prime Minister sinks while mentioning losing thousands of children every single day due to malnutrition as a national shame. Worse stories can be heard about the health sector, thanks to poor sanitation, water and hygiene and unreached health programs; inaccessible areas can still dream of doctors and health services reaching them with our doctor-population ratio misting away at 1:4000 and that too with most of the doctor cluster beaming with the pride of meritocracy taking their first flight out adding to our brain drain or settle in concentrated-cushioned urban carpets when 70% of India still lives in villages.

The programs we have to eradicate poverty and promote better standard of living et all, just like our IPC and constitution, are one of the best in the world yet only on paper. If only we had implemented them! We have done nothing about it. Apathy! We live in a world of marked differences; a huge wall separating the few rich and plenty poor; we live to prove the 80:20 theory, which says that 80% of the wealth rests with 20% of the people and vice versa. Unequal distribution of wealth and justice has always been an issue brushed underneath the carpet as we shine the floor for highlighting our land as one with a progressive prospect.

The concept of e-governance is attempted with just 4% of internet users in the country, with a population exceeding 1.19 billion and a growth rate of 1.5%, our BPL index hitting a 22% and illiteracy level at 39%. What needs to be our priority?! Do we see all this before speaking the technocratic language or is it an accumulation of Ignorance with Apathy?

multi-disciplinary interventions juggling Politics, Sociology, Philosophy, Psychology and Economics, need to be deliberated to widen the horizon of limitless solutions; beginning with the understanding of issues. Each branch deals with the issue within its certain boundaries and an attempt needs to be made to converge these in case a vision incorporating all needs to be envisaged.

The ‘body’ as a metaphor used in earlier philosophies to explain stratification needs to be looked into with a new perspective and may be attempted to be seen as a wholesome unit while contemplating utopian ideals such as Citizen Participation. This is only a representation of our movement from a barbaric world into a more civilized world; sans enduring will only negate endeavours especially with more need-based missions that need to be initiated and socio-political-economic barriers that stagnate the growth process that need to be crossed in the development process by inculcating values along with (un)commonsense to realize sustainable development. Priorities need to change, apathy and ignorance curbed, further redtapism nullified and dreams hastened into action. Till then, “Citizen Participation” will be forged in pain; as pain is the only commodity available sans disparity. At the moment, we are at the crossroads.  

Painting by M.F Hussain

The Indian In Imagination

If I were to draw blindfolded an image of an Indian from what I hear from what people have heard or seen about India and its people from outside its borders, perhaps I would be drawing a dark, skinny and dusty person with a grim face and a turban wrapped several times around the head, amidst dark, gloomy clouds of lust and violence, corruption and scams, pollution and population hovering in the backdrop. Much of this imaginary imagery has been seeded long before and has been systematically imprinted in the minds; and we, from within the borders, have relentlessly watered and nurtured this image to keep it intact. Yet, it is only an illusion and the deeds and characteristics of a minority present (as in any other country) and presented cannot be generalized and held true and applicable to the majority.

A few decades back, this is how we too played a part in painting the whole of Africa as a country with sick, poor, bony, dusty, dark children; that we expect every child of Africa to fit into the very same picture of our imagination. To a certain extent we have achieved in seeding this thought into our minds that so stubbornly refuses to go; so much so that we cannot stop seeing Africa and its citizens without sympathy; even if they don't ask for it.  

How is this image drawn so conveniently? 

Who frames these images? 

What benefit is derived by giving and taking up such an identity?

There are perhaps reasons for allowing this unclean and skewed image to be maintained to arrive at a win-win situation for both the perceiver and the perceived in many ways.

India has always been seen as a field full of harvest. As we try to think that gone are those days, when they reached our shores to mine us off our riches and sell it in their coasts, it is equally pertinent to watch carefully that today those we believed to be gone, are back in our shores and this time, to mine us off our poverty and sell it in their coasts. Their first stop often as they reach our land is to reach slums, pavements and areas of underdevelopment, poverty and hunger-their choicest destinations (often with good connectivity through air), where they pull out their point and shoot cameras, to do exactly what it is meant to do-point and shoot megapixel after megapixel of great whites amidst the poor, vulnerable and unprotected lot in an impoverished nation that will soon get uploaded, downloaded and hoisted in racks and presented in slides during fund raising campaigns amongst mesmerized audiences who can’t stop but give in to their compassionate side on seeing the marginalized blown up to unimaginable proportions to fit into their own imagination of a community of victims, they provide with deep-seated hope that this situation might change and render themselves as agents of such a change. Thus emerges a breeding ground for forced-need-based communities and strategic-greed-based organizations and the marriage of these two groups have become complementary for each others survival.

Over six decades of freedom later and after millions of dollars raised outside our borders in promised lands by compassionate people and those living off that money raised in the name of the poor, with a stage set for provider-receiver drama to happen with lakhs of organizations to act as actors, traitors and betrayers (from within and out) breeding with their eyes on the share of the morsel than anything else-with many who come by day and fly by night, nothing much has changed; we are still burdened. The only thing gained is that we have been able to maintain this image of an always poor and needy still “developing” nation... and with this attitude of ours to supply to the demand of other nations with our poverty, we will always be this way and will remain and be kept this way for a very long long time to come and our image too, just like that of Africa, will be a story of never ending poverty and sorry endings and we shall soon be dressed in rags in the imagination of the world. Keep contributing. Jai Hind!

The Question On Indian Identity

“Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way,

into the dreary desert sand of dead habit,

where the mind is led forward by thee into

ever widening thought and action,

into that heaven of freedom, my father, let my country awake”

From Gitanjali by Rabindranath Tagore

If I were to draw blindfolded an image of an Indian from what I hear from what people have heard or seen about India and its people from outside its borders, perhaps I would be drawing a dark, skinny and dusty person with a grim face and a turban wrapped several times around the head, amidst dark, gloomy clouds of lust and violence, corruption and scams, pollution and population hovering in the backdrop. Much of this imaginary imagery has been seeded long before and has been systematically imprinted in the minds; and we, from within the borders, have relentlessly watered and nurtured this image to keep it intact. Yet, it is only an illusion and the deeds and characteristics of a minority present (as in any other country) and presented cannot be generalized and held true and applicable to the majority.

Amidst that white-faced, faith-based pseudo-justice born out of intentions conceived through the marriage of hypocrisy and greed, it would be as revealing as a naked butt on a freezy, cold day if the following questions are pondered over: How is this image drawn so conveniently? Who frames these images? What benefit is derived by giving and taking up such an identity? 

There is perhaps a reason for allowing this unclean and skewed image to be maintained to arrive at a win-win situation to both the perceiver and the perceived in many ways as we ponder over the issue of identity and the concept of being identified. Much of the damage, if any, has been partly due to an identity thrust upon us and much more attributed to us for accepting the identity thrust without defending our own. 

Could it be blamed on ignorance? or perhaps apathy? Or maybe because many of us were busy with other things in life to survive and to be less bothered about these things. What if a few of us are really bothered and would like to defend? and what if some dare to uncover the masks of those who paint us black or rather brown?! Would the tables turn then?  

In the pic: is the painting of M.F. Hussain, titled 'the rape of mother India, which portrays the image of a woman caught in a struggle to escape from the strangling force of two wild bulls. This painting was heavily criticized for the imagery as well as the titling. Revisit the painting and see the relevance it has today, when you see the Indian identity suffer a similar accord torn apart by the betrayer from outside and the traitor from within... 

The Isolation Chamber

The history behind this actuating, rusting, rotten metal sheath is that this is through which you would have been fed just enough to keep you alive if you were a brown Man caught fighting for freedom. It was hard not to feel the pain while there thinking that when thrown into one such cell, the movement of this solid iron piece was the only thing one could see or hear besides one's very own movement (if any) as the rest of the people roamed outside, shamelessly unmindful of their slave-like condition, living a life as ever-obedient slaves to their masters and traitors to their very own. 

Looking from where I stand today, I realize that this dreamy freedom that some of our so called "brown dogs" got us in exchange for their lives they gave up with a smile when the last tight noose smeared with shrapnel tightened around their hearts, they perhaps hoped that we and the generations to follow, might be able to experience the joy of such a freedom they could only dream of then.

If we peruse on those lines, that dream of theirs was better than the reality today. The aliens who were here to mine our wealth in the name of a company, are back and this time, from several quarters and cleverly disguised, to mine our poverty in the name of corporate, multinational companies and other foreign and international organizations and institutions to capitalize and optimize on our vulnerability-the basis on which MoUs and contracts are signed. These are neo-capitalists, who see us nothing more than a Return on Investment (RoI) and our lives, our communities and the problems we deal with as their Unique Selling Point (USP) to reap, pack and sell outside our borders to nurture profits and dividends back in their homes out of which a portion found fitting for us to keep us alive is thrown at us for which we are busy fighting among ourselves to take a grab of the morsel. Oh! didn't they know well and perhaps too well that when divided, they rule?!...

We are being silently and systematically plundered, ruined and tagged and we are carrying these imprints yet it is not such a rarity that these isolation chambers are what many walk into these days willfully and voluntarily giving up pride, respect and dignity which some of our earlier brown dogs refused to exchange for the rationed morsels of life thrown at them. Slaves, traitors and betrayers still live on and long amongst us. Yet it moves...

Lost In Translation

There are over 104 versions of the Bible it seems... and everytime, someone just can't resist attempting to make it better. With multiple religions emerging to contain one God, and multiple denominations emerging to contain that one religion, i thought atleast the word of God could have been spared. Despite the fact that God himself requests that his words be left alone-not one to be added or deducted-any idea to dilute or concentrate what was said must be duly withheld... yet man in his usual trait, did not listen and still does not.    

To show the damage done, an attempt was made to try to see how some verses in the Bible that asks you not to change-add or delete- any word, has itself been ripped, modified and repacked to be ripped, modified and repacked yet again and again and again...

 

Example 1: Revelations 22:18-19

 

 

New International Version (© 2011)

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this scroll: If anyone adds anything to them, God will add to that person the plagues described in this scroll.

And if anyone takes words away from this scroll of prophecy, God will take away from that person any share in the tree of life and in the Holy City, which are described in this scroll.

King James Bible

For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

American Standard Version

I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, if any man shall add unto them, God shall add unto him the plagues which are written in this book:

and if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life, and out of the holy city, which are written in this book.

Young's Literal Translation

'For I testify to every one hearing the words of the prophecy of this scroll, if any one may add unto these, God shall add to him the plagues that have been written in this scroll,

and if any one may take away from the words of the scroll of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the scroll of the life, and out of the holy city, and the things that have been written in this scroll

 

Example 2: Deuteronomy 12:32

New International Version (© 2011)

See that you do all I command you; do not add to it or take away from it.

King James Bible

What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

American Standard Version

What thing soever I command you, that shall ye observe to do: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Young's Literal Translation

The whole thing which I am commanding you -- it ye observe to do; thou dost not add unto it, nor diminish from it.

 

Example 3: Deuteronomy 4:2

 

New International Version (©2011)

Do not add to what I command you and do not subtract from it, but keep the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

New Living Translation (©2007)

Do not add to or subtract from these commands I am giving you. Just obey the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you.

English Standard Version (©2001)

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you.

New American Standard Bible (©1995)

"You shall not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

King James Bible (Cambridge Ed.)

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Holman Christian Standard Bible (©2009)

You must not add anything to what I command you or take anything away from it, so that you may keep the commands of the LORD your God I am giving you.

International Standard Version (©2012)

Do not add or subtract a thing to what I'm commanding you. Observe the commands of the LORD your God.

NET Bible (©2006)

Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am delivering to you.

GOD'S WORD® Translation (©1995)

Never add anything to what I command you, or take anything away from it. Then you will be able to obey the commands of the LORD your God that I give you.

King James 2000 Bible (©2003)

You shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall you take away from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

American King James Version

You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish ought from it, that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

American Standard Version

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.

Douay-Rheims Bible

You shall not add to the word that I speak to you, neither shall you take away from it: keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you.

Darby Bible Translation

Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye take from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.

English Revised Version

Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

Webster's Bible Translation

Ye shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish aught from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

World English Bible

You shall not add to the word which I command you, neither shall you diminish from it, that you may keep the commandments of Yahweh your God which I command you.

Young's Literal Translation

Ye do not add to the word which I am commanding you, nor diminish from it, to keep the commands of Jehovah your God which I am commanding you.

 

Note:

• Are we lost in translation?
• In our attempt to make the complex simple, have we ended up making the simple complex?
• Have we disrespected God’s request?

 

1. What version are we holding now?
2. From what version was this derived?
3. What version should I be holding now and where do I find it?

On Goodness and All That Crap

It is human nature to share and promote something that one uses and is thought to be unique and it seems like sharing something found enjoyable (in one’s own terms) is just an obvious, effortless thing to do anyway; yet these things we promptly share are things that are not yet in the open or in vogue and that we are unsure of ourselves yet enjoy using it nevertheless… something as simple as the tail end of a roasted pig or the head of a poached chicken or the midriff of a toasted beef.

So, what is it we are really trying to achieve here through this marvelous act of sharing?! In a relentless attempt are we trying to gain acceptance in a pursuit to enable us to use these things we do in secret, publicly, or measure rejection to find smarter ways to use it in secret without getting caught in public (?)

Otherwise selfish, sinister and still justified human creatures that we are, from wither, out of nowhere and all of a sudden, do we become these Godly, holy and selfless creatures (?!) that even God might have to pinch himself to believe that he was not dreaming as we make this earnest attempt to entice, tempt and solicit people by sharing our intimate possessions with strangers and acquaintances with such good nature to a point that not just God or the devil himself, yet, one can convincingly and comfortably fool himself into believing that it was indeed such a natural and selfless act of random kindness... an epitome of true human nature of gregariousness and generosity. Yet, deep inside, true to ourselves, we know that it is a lie, a big fat lie.

Man as he shares, secretly searches for those who relish and share interests and tastes similar and in line with his own and wants to bring in more of his kind together into a cult like group or a group like cult to claim a majority acceptance (in his own terms) of his or rather now ‘their’ eccentricity and idiosyncrasies that otherwise might be condemned, correlated and equated to madness. It is the same principle that applies to the sharing of things as much as the sharing of what man thinks. So much so for eccentricity in what he eats as much for (the religion) that he professes and preaches and the connected rituals that he eventually teaches…

 

p.c:http://www.google.co.in/imgres?um=1&sa=N&biw=1004&bih=491&hl=en&tbm=isch&tbnid=iVzP_pGmQseUwM:&imgrefurl=http://inside.mines.edu/~zhiwu/courses/teaching.html&docid=3wWggcJMvXYBvM&imgurl=http://inside.mines.edu/~zhiwu/courses/teaching.jpg&w=606&h=456&ei=xQiwUenmL-aIiALx4YCgAQ&zoom=1&ved=1t:3588,r:57,s:0,i:340&iact=rc&dur=925&page=5&tbnh=185&tbnw=258&start=46&ndsp=12&tx=164&ty=66